Pumpkin Pancakes with Nutmeg Whipped Cream

This post contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Read our disclosure.

Hettie set out three bowls on the breakfast counter, one for dry, one for wet and a small one for cream. Then she cleaned her spectacles. Everyone at the inn knows what that means. Pancake lesson.

Gerzsi poured the pumpkin mix into the flour and started beating it like he was angry at it. “There are lumps,” he said. “I’m getting rid of the lumps.”

“You are getting rid of the fluff,” said Hettie, and took the whisk away. “Stir until the flour disappears. Then stop. The lumps can stay. They are guests.”

A large brown head came in through the window. Clyde had smelled the cinnamon from the road. “I’ll test the first one,” he offered. Hettie gave him the first one. It had stuck to the pan and torn in half. “The first one is always for the horse,” she said. Clyde did not seem to mind at all.

By the twelfth pancake Gerzsi was flipping without tearing anything. He had a stack in the warm oven, a bowl of nutmeg cream and a horse at the window waiting for seconds.

Why this one works

A whole can of pumpkin goes into the batter, so the pancakes stay moist and turn deep orange. The spices are measured out one by one, so you don’t need a jar of pumpkin pie spice. A short rest before cooking gives the baking powder a head start, and a low oven keeps the first pancakes warm while you cook the rest.

Pumpkin Pancakes with Nutmeg Whipped Cream

Servings: 4 (12 pancakes)
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Time: 50 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Print

Thick, spiced pumpkin pancakes with nutmeg whipped cream, toasted pumpkin seeds and maple syrup.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups (about 315 g) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (50 g) sugar
1 tablespoon (15 ml) baking powder
2 teaspoons (10 ml) ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon (5 ml) kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon (4 ml) ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon (4 ml) ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) ground allspice
2 cups (475 ml) milk
3 large eggs
1 can (15 oz / 425 g) pumpkin puree
1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream, cold
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) freshly grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons (about 15 g) toasted pumpkin seeds
Maple syrup, to serve

Directions

Set up a warm spot for the finished pancakes first. Heat the oven to 200°F (95°C). Fold two clean kitchen towels on a baking sheet and slide it into the oven.
Make the cream while the oven heats. Whip the cold cream and the grated nutmeg until it holds stiff peaks. Cover the bowl and keep it in the fridge.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, cloves, ginger and allspice. In a second bowl, whisk the milk, eggs and pumpkin until smooth.
Pour the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture and stir only until no dry flour is left. The batter will be thick, with a few small lumps. Leave it alone for 5 minutes.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Pour in about 1/2 cup (120 ml) of batter for each pancake and spread it to about 6 inches (15 cm) across. Cook about 1 1/2 minutes, flip, and cook about 1 1/2 minutes more, until both sides are golden and the middle is set.
Move each finished pancake onto the towels in the oven and keep going until the batter is gone.
Stack three pancakes on each plate. Top with a spoonful of nutmeg cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds, and pass the maple syrup at the table.

Measuring flour: spoon it into the cup and level it off with a knife. Scooping straight from the bag packs in extra flour and makes the pancakes dry.
The first pancake or two may stick and tear. The pan settles down after that.
Toasting your own seeds: shake raw pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for a few minutes, until they start to pop.

🛒 Worth buying for this recipe

OXO Good Grips Non-Stick Pro 12″ Frypan. On America’s Test Kitchen’s list of essential tools for new cooks. A 12-inch nonstick pan fits two of these pancakes at a time. Check price. See it on Amazon
Wüsthof Gourmet 7″ Fish Spatula. An ATK editors’ pick. The thin, wide head gets under a soft pancake without tearing it. Check price. See it on Amazon
OXO Good Grips 11″ Silicone Balloon Whisk. ATK’s top nonstick-safe whisk. In their test it whipped cream to stiff peaks in 1 minute 18 seconds. About $18. See it on Amazon
Microplane Premium Classic Zester/Grater. ATK’s winning rasp grater. Use it for the whole nutmeg. About $19. See it on Amazon

Chef Tamás’s notes on this recipe are coming soon.

Adapted from Pumpkin Pancakes with Maple Syrup and Nutmeg Whipped Cream on Food Network. Cooked our way at the inn.